


keep me in your orbit

by throughthemist



Series: guys and dolls [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 5+1 Things, Captain America Steve Rogers/Modern Bucky Barnes, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Modern Bucky Barnes, Shrunkyclunks, Team as Family, figure skating AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 17:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17965364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/throughthemist/pseuds/throughthemist
Summary: 5 times the Avengers interrupted Bucky's dates and 1 time he interrupted theirs





	keep me in your orbit

**Author's Note:**

> title from Ariana Grande's 'NASA'
> 
>  
> 
> bit of hurt/comfort in part one with a sad Natasha, but the rest is fluff and humour. minor comic book level violence in the last part

1\. Natasha

It was just one of those days.  
Natasha had known as soon as she’d woken up that everything would be a struggle today, everything just on the wrong side of ‘too much’. Too noisy, too bright, too everything. This didn’t happen often, Natasha kept herself purposefully busy to fend off this feeling, but even then it snuck up on her.   
So, now she was stood outside Steve’s apartment door, conveniently just a floor below hers in the Tower, with her fist raised to knock. She could have just asked Jarvis to announce her arrival, but Steve had his quirks and wanting to open the door for his guests was one of them. Plus, and Natasha wouldn’t admit this readily, there was something comforting in allowing herself to make noise, to actively seek out the company of a friend and have them happily accept her into their home. She’d spent her entire life living in the shadows, being as quiet and as deadly as the black widow she was named after. 

Steve opened the door with a smile, “Nat!” She smiled back at him and shook her head slightly, watching as the easy smiled dropped from his face and was replaced with something understanding and eternally patient. He opened the door wider for her, “Bucky’s here. I hope that’s okay?”

Natasha stilled for just a second and ran the scenario through in her mind. Was it okay? She’d come to find Steve because he got this part of her in a way the others didn’t, not even Sam. He knew what it was like to be able to split your life into two very distinct times, to sometimes wake up and be half in one time and half in the ‘here and now.’ They had a system in place, they would make hot chocolate and sit on one of their sofas with the radio, or an audiobook, or the TV playing in the background softly. They didn’t talk much, it wasn’t really necessary, but it still felt personal, something for only them.

Steve must have known what she was thinking, “we were just watching a movie. You aren’t interrupting anything, honest. I can make the hot chocolates and you can watch with us, if you want? Or I can come up and sit with you for a bit, Bucky would understand. It’s up to you.”

His expression was open and Natasha knew that he would drop everything to be there for her if she asked, but it was for that reason she didn’t want to. Taking a deep breath, she took a leap of faith and walked into the apartment. She trusted Steve with more than just her life, she trusted him with her feelings and her vulnerabilities, he wouldn’t let her walk into a situation that would make her feel even worse.   
She knew that, but it was still a monumental effort to keep her guard down and not let her training kick in and present a fake, confident Natasha Romanoff to the man currently curled up in approximately four blankets on Steve’s huge couch.

Bucky Barnes blinked up at her sleepily, “Natasha! Hey, you joining us?”

Steve walked in just behind her and started to head for the kitchen, “she can’t resist a Disney marathon, Buck! We’re making hot chocolates, you want one?”

“Mmmm, yes please,” came the muffled reply, Bucky already buried in his blanket fort again.

When they were safely hidden in the kitchen, Steve turned to her again, “you need to talk about it? Or just relax?”

“Just relax.” She managed a small smile, squeezing the hand of someone who was quickly becoming something like an older brother to her, “thank you Steve.”

Their moment was interrupted by a put-upon shout from the living room, “I thought I was promised hot chocolate Stevie! I swear if you don’t get back here right now I’ll skate to ‘Star Spangled Man with a Plan’ next season don’t test me.” Steve’s grin in response was obnoxiously happy, his eyes dancing with a happiness Natasha rarely saw there.

And as they settled back onto the couch, Steve pressed against the mound of blankets that was Bucky, Natasha with her feet wedged underneath his leg, a Disney film playing softly in the background and a mug of hot chocolate cupped in her palms, she felt peace settle over her.

She nudged Steve’s leg and he looked over, catching her eye. She simply smiled at him and signed ‘thank you’.

2\. Tony

Tony loved Steve, he really did.  
But more than anything, he loved to annoy him, and he was pretty good at it too.

Tony began plotting after the Olympics, when even the thought of Bucky was enough to get Steve to smile bigger than ever and all they’d exchanged were phone numbers and the promise of something that could be great. 

It had been two weeks until the pair saw each other in person again, two weeks that were filled with Steve continuously texting, opening the door for innumerable amounts of teasing. Steve had been practically vibrating with nerves and excitement before his first date with Bucky, had gone to Tony for advice on the restaurant, Sam for help on what to wear, and Natasha for ‘how not to let him see how goddamn nervous I am.’ To say the date had gone well was an understatement and now it was three weeks, and twice as many dates, later.

They were out for dinner again, Steve sent off with a cheery wave and a ‘have a good night Cap,” to an overly fancy restaurant Tony recommended for them. The only part of this plan Tony regretted was that he wouldn’t get to see Steve’s face, the mix of confusion and dawning horror that was sure to cross his features when he saw his table...which was set for four.

“Pep, you ready?” Tony was almost bouncing on his feet at the door to their penthouse suite.

“Two minutes Tony!” Came the harried reply from the direction of their bedroom, before Pepper stepped out and took Tony’s breath away. She was as stunning as ever in a midnight blue dress, the colour subtly matching the shade of his tie. She spun a small circle, her elegance contrasted with the downright evil grin on her face, “good enough to crash Captain America’s date?”

“And then some,” Tony whistled, “I ever mention how much I love you? Because I do, totally and crazily.”

“Is it because of the dress or the fact I’m willing to go along with some of your crazy plans?”

“Is saying both cheating?”

“Nope,” her grin only grew wider as they took the elevator down to the garage and got into the car waiting for them.

The drive to the restaurant was short and spent giggling like teenagers in the back of the car, making each other laugh with increasingly ridiculous plans for the dinner. It was all he could do to school his features into a cool mask, for once grateful he had so much practice at hiding his feelings from the press. He led Pepper into the restaurant, eyes darting around to try and catch sight of his star spangled friend, before he felt Pepper squeeze his arm and tip her head in the other direction.   
And there was that expression of dread he’d been chasing. Steve spun around quickly and met Tony’s gleeful smile. “Oh for fucks sake,” Tony heard him mutter under his breath. Bucky merely raised an eyebrow at his date before following Steve’s line of vision and badly disguising a laugh behind his hand when he caught sight of Tony. 

“Fancy seeing you guys here! Mind if we join?” Tony looked down and caught Bucky’s eye, who was not bothering to suppress the incredulous laughter bubbling out of him one bit.

“Doesn’t look like we have a choice, Stark.” Steve sighed, but Tony could see the smile he was trying to hide in the exaggerated frown he was sporting.

Pepper pushed him into a seat and folded herself in next to him, “I apologise for my fiance, James. Not that it isn’t lovely to see you both, but I imagine you wanted some time with just Steve?” Tony didn’t know if the fact she kept a straight face through that apology was terrifying or amazing.

Bucky waved her off good-naturedly, “I think there’s enough of him to go round, don’t you?” The way Steve blushed in response to that was everything.

“So James, I have to ask: you got an Olympic ring tattoo yet?” Pepper asked, a teasing smirk on her face.

Bucky laughed, “no, not my thing I’m afraid. And please, it’s Bucky.”

“Not your thing? Oh, I’m disappointed Bucky. I thought getting that tattoo was like a rite of passage for you Olympians?”

“If you ever change your mind, come to me.” Tony piped up, looking up from the menu he was studying. He gamely ignored the glare Steve had levelled his way.

“Not sure I’d trust you with a tattoo gun Tony.” Steve smirked, “not after I’ve seen the way you handle a real one.”

Tony gasped theatrically and pointed a finger Steve’s way, “okay first of all, not all of us got military training. Second of all, I engineered myself something way better than a gun. And third, I’m great at tattooing, just ask Pep.”

Steve and Bucky both turned to Pepper, who had a shit-eating grin on her face, “oh yes, he’s excellent.”

Tony loved her so fucking much.

 

3\. Thor 

To be fair to Thor, he hadn’t meant to make such a dramatic entrance.

And how was he to know Heimdall was holding a grudge against him for that tiny, tiny, little fight he’d started the other week?

The thing was...he was sick of missing out. He hadn’t been to Midgard for a while now and it seemed like the only times he got to visit was when, well, was when the planet needed his help. Like, badly needed his help.   
And he missed his friends.

So when he’d heard Captain Rogers had got himself a boyfriend, nothing was going to stop him meeting the man. 

When the bright light of the bifrost dimmed, Thor looked around him, taking in the huge arena packed with people all staring dumbfoundedly at him and the loud music that played for a few seconds before abruptly cutting out. People were shouting, some of them halfway out of their seats with their phones held aloft, and Thor shot them what he hoped was a reassuring smile before turning around to see a man in a jazzy costume picking himself up from where he’d fallen on what looked like ice.

“Oh! You must be Bucky!”

The man in question stared at him, wide blue eyes filled with confusion before he shook his head and smiled, a small uncertain thing. “I’m hoping you’re Thor?”

“That I am!” Thor tried to step toward him, intent on pulling him into a hug, but barely managed two steps before his legs were flailing and he was hugging the ice instead. He heard the scrape of metal on ice and looked up to see Bucky quickly approaching him, hands outstretched in an offer of help. He grabbed onto his hand and with some difficulty got back on his feet.

“Thor! Buddy, what the hell?” His head whipped around at the call of his name that rose louder than the clamour of people in the stands, to see a handful of his friends waiting at the boards.

“Steven!” He raised one arm in greeting, keeping the other securely wrapped around Bucky’s shoulders, “I came to meet your boyfriend!”

Steve went bright red and buried his face in his hands, and Thor could just about make out his muttered “we were trying to keep it lowkey, Thor” over Bucky’s laughter in his ear. They slowly but surely made it to the boards, where Thor gladly stepped off the ice and onto solid ground, immediately clapping Steve on the back before turning his attention to Natasha and Sam, pulling the pair of them into his arms.

After he greeted them he observed Steve, who was fussing over Bucky, “you didn’t hurt yourself when you fell, did you?”

“No I’m okay. Just wasn’t expecting a bloody rainbow portal to open up in the middle of the world championships.” Bucky’s voice was dry, but the smile and shake of his head showed he wasn’t angry.

“It was not my intention to interrupt any competition, I am very sorry. I did not know I would arrive quite so disruptively.”

Bucky nodded, “don’t worry Thor, it was nice to meet you, even if the circumstances could have been better.” He turned back to Steve and squeezed his hand, “I better go talk to the organisers, see what they want me to do.”

Steve nodded, eyes not leaving Bucky’s back until Natasha pulled on his jumper sleeve. “It’ll be fine, they’ll probably just let him go from where he left off.”

Thor felt awful, “I really didn’t mean any harm, I just wanted to meet him and see you all again. I miss you when I’m not here.”

“We miss you too, it’s not the same without you here,” Steve said.

“Yeah, you gotta come visit us more often,” Sam added. “I feel like we’ve only ever properly hung out a few times.”

Natasha smiled, and started walking them all back to their seats, “come on, let’s watch. They’ll start the competition up again soon.”   
Everyone stared at them as they made their way to their seats as quickly as possible, taking photos and videos of them indiscreetly. Even Thor could tell when someone had a camera pointed at him now, and though it was usually harmless he couldn’t help but get annoyed at it at times like this.

Natasha was right, the music Thor had interrupted started playing a few minutes after they’d sat down and Thor watched as Bucky took his place back on the ice, picking up where he’d left off. He really was a sight to see. They didn’t have this sport back in Asgard, but something about it still seemed otherworldly to him, as he watched Bucky glide over the bright white ice as if there was nothing under his skates at all, buoyed up by the cheers of the crowds and jumping like gravity didn’t apply to him.   
It was wonderful, and he could tell the others thought the same as they were all at the edge of their seats, cheering loudly when something went right.

As Bucky finished his routine and took his bows Thor caught Sam’s eye, who nodded at Steve, who was standing and cheering, the biggest smile Thor had ever seen on him lighting up the usually battle-hardened planes of his face.

Thor wished he could have met his love in a different way, but still, it wasn’t that bad...Bucky still came third place.

4\. Sam

Dating your teammate was hard. Dating your teammate was even harder when she was the most highly trained spy the government had on their roster.   
Natasha was called away on missions a lot, and they could be as quick as three days or as long as three months. It was something he’d known when they got closer, Natasha had stressed as much on their first date all those months ago, and Sam hadn’t changed his mind since then: it was worth it. Didn’t mean it wasn’t hard though.

Natasha had got back from a month long mission two days before, and Sam hadn’t left her apartment since. It was a luxury for them to spend time together like this, just letting the hours while away while they caught up, bodies and minds reconnecting. They didn’t live together yet, and Sam still split his time between DC and New York, but Sam knew he wanted to ask her to make that step with him soon. He was ready to take that leap of faith with the woman he’d been in love with for the better part of a year, the woman he’d counted as a best friend for twice that long.

But that could wait for another day. Sam had other, less nerve wracking, plans for today, namely going to the animal sanctuary a few blocks away and then to their favourite lunch spot.

It was all going so well, too. The sun was shining, the animals were all happy and Natasha looked as carefree as she ever would in her undercover clothes with a huge lump of a rabbit cradled in her arms. Sam had been snapping photos of her all day, much to her chagrin, and was flicking through the best ones as she cooed over ‘Humphrey’ when he noticed it. Zooming in on the photo, he could have sworn he saw...yup, there he was. Those mile-wide shoulders were as conspicuous as ever, even if the man they belonged to had valiantly tried to disguise them in a slouchy jumper and leather jacket. Sam wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Just the other day, Steve had been complaining that he always seemed to bump into their friends while he was out with Bucky, and Sam had been bemoaning the lack of time he got to spend with just Natasha. And here they were.

Nat looked up sharply at Sam’s groan, “what’s up?”

Sam leant over and showed her the photo, “we’ve got company.” Natasha, the traitor, just laughed in response.

“Let’s go find them.”

“What? Noooo,” Sam could admit that he wasn’t above whining.

“We were going to leave in a minute anyway, what’s the harm in saying hi before we go for lunch?” Begrudgingly, Sam had to accept her argument made sense.

Natasha set Humphrey the giant rabbit down and linked her arm in his, pulling him along. “$10 they’re with the goats.”

“Oh, you’re on Romanoff. $20 they’re brushing a Shetland pony.”

Of course, Natasha was right. She always was. They caught sight of Steve and Bucky quickly, both of them laughing and leaning as far as they dared over the barrier of the goat enclosure, scratching the neck of what looked like the happiest goat in New York. As they got closer they could just about make out their conversation.

“Stevie, I promise you this now: when I retire from competitive skating I’m going to get a goat. Or two, or ten.”

“I support you, 100%,” Steve shot back with a straight face.

Before Bucky could do more than shove at him in reply, Natasha cleared her throat, “boys.”

Steve shot up and spun around in a move so fast Sam could barely register it, “Nat, Sam, not you guys too!” 

Sam held his hands up in surrender, “not intentional, man. And who’s to say you didn’t follow me and Nat here, eh?”

Bucky laughed, “is having my dates crashed something I should get used to? Because to be honest Steve, I didn’t think I was signing up to double dates for the rest of my life. That might be a dealbreaker.”

Sam raised his eyebrows and turned to Natasha who mouthed, ‘rest of my life’ at him while wiggling her eyebrows. When they turned back to the other two it was to see the brightest blush Sam had ever seen Bucky wear and Steve with the biggest, dopiest grin on his face, reaching out to link his fingers through Bucky’s.

“Nope,” Sam said, “we’re outta here. Go be sickeningly cute somewhere else guys, the goats don’t wanna see that.”

Natasha snorted and started to walk them both away. “How are they still in the honeymoon phase? Hasn’t it been like, 3 months?” She whispered to him conspiratorially.

“I’ve given up trying to understand it, Tash.”

Thankfully, the rest of their day was miraculously super-soldier and figure skater free.

5\. Peggy

Peggy had been coaching Bucky for ten years now, since he was a gangly thirteen year old with more courage than sense who hadn’t yet worked out how to charm national icons with one smile. And she’d never seen him this happy.

The Olympic silver and World bronze medals didn’t hurt, but she could tell it was more than that. Bucky always told her she was ‘freakishly observant’ but it didn’t take a sharp eye like hers to see it was Steve making him so happy. She’d caught glimpses of him dropping Bucky off at the rink early in the mornings, or picking him up late in the evening, and of course she’d been introduced at competitions, but she needed to know more. So sue her, she was nosey. She’d just say it was her keeping an eye on her student if anyone asked.

So the plan was hatched.

She’d planted the idea in Bucky’s head a week ago, just an innocent, “so, can Steve skate?” She’d seen the cogs start turning in his head and pushed just that little bit further, “the rink is always free after your last session on Tuesday,” before skating off to chase her next student onto the ice.

And now, a Tuesday evening a week later, Bucky was smiling widely through his practice even as he accused her of being a drill sergeant. This could only mean one thing. And sure enough, ten minutes before their practice was up, Peggy noticed a hulking man slip in through the door, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous room. The way Bucky’s head whipped up and his smile grew warmer confirmed her suspicions of who it was.

Peggy dawdled her way off the ice that day, wanting to see how the pair interacted. She spent longer than strictly necessary taking off her skates and packing them into their bag, was more thorough in checking the next day’s schedule than usual, and was rewarded with the sight of Steve’s first tentative steps onto the ice.

For a decorated war hero, he sure wasn’t shy of clutching onto Bucky for help or squealing like he’d actually hurt himself if he fell. It was so at odds with his physique Peggy couldn’t help but be a little charmed, and looking at Bucky’s face she knew he felt the same. She stuck around long enough to see Steve’s first fall as well as his first successful trip around the rink before she left.

She’d watched them laugh together at his failures, seen the way Steve looked at Bucky as if he was his whole world when in reality Bucky was just showing off, seen the bubble that seemed to encapsulate them and shield them from anything but the other. Peggy wasn’t a romantic by nature, but seeing the pair of them bought a smile to her face as she turned the lights to her office off and left. 

She shouted a goodbye to the pair of them, who stopped laughing and chatting long enough to look up and wave, before slipping out the building.

It wasn’t the end of it though. She still wanted to talk to Steve properly, give him what would probably be the fiftieth shovel talk he’d received in the last few months, since Bucky had a way of worming into people’s hearts and demanding their protectiveness and love. He captured people’s attention, it’s what made him such a brilliant skater, and Peggy would know - she’d been a coach since she quit the competitive scene thirty years ago, and she’d never seen star quality quite like she’d seen in Bucky all those years before. 

And no one, not even the most famous American soldier to walk the earth, could scare her into dropping her ‘protective mama Carter’ act that Bucky always teased her about.

 

+1. Bucky

Bucky breathed a sigh of relief. It had been the most amazing competition season of his life, and he’d walked out of it with more medals than he would have dreamed of a few years ago, as well as the man currently sat opposite him, poking at his tiramisu like it was a puzzle he had to work out instead of the best dessert this side of anywhere.

But still, he was glad for the off-season. Worlds had come and gone in a blur of laughter and bright lights, and now he could finally let himself go a bit. Let himself enjoy a long lunchtime date with his boyfriend, something neither of their schedules had allowed more than once or twice in the three and a half months they’d been together. It was nice, sitting down and chatting like any normal couple, sharing too many plates of food and laughing at each other’s stories.

The first loud bang went unnoticed, it was New York after all and it wasn’t unheard of for cars to backfire or fireworks to be let off at annoying times of the day. The second one earnt a raised eyebrow from Bucky and a slight tensing of Steve’s shoulders, his spoon making it back onto the plate as his other hand unconsciously migrated to his jacket pocket in search of his phone. 

It started ringing two seconds later.

The sound it made was more of an alarm, the obnoxious sound blaring out and drawing the attention of every other restaurant patron in a ten-metre radius. Bucky had never seen Steve move so fast as when he answered the call, immediately jumping to his feet and transforming into Captain America before his very eyes.

His voice was loud and commanding, “everybody, listen up. There’s an emergency two blocks away and I’m going to need you all to take cover inside the restaurant. Thank you.” Despite his lack of uniform, there was no doubt in the people’s minds who was talking to them, and no one hesitated to follow his command. Except Bucky.

He reached out to grab Steve’s sleeve, “what’s going on?”

“Buck, I’m gonna need you to stay safe and go inside. Please,” his tone turned pleading as he kept talking, aware of Bucky’s stubborn streak that meant he was going to put up a fight, no matter what. “I have to meet the others now.”

“You don’t even have your suit! Or your shield! Steve, please, you’re gonna get hurt.”

The bitter smile that twisted Steve’s face aged him seventy years, “I don’t need my suit to be bulletproof Bucky.”

And, okay. He was playing the dumb card today, great. “Bullshit.” Bucky snapped. Before he could say anything else a group of what could only be described as aliens rounded the corner of the street. Steve whirled around and caught the shield and comm that came flying at him from above. Craning his neck, Bucky could just make out the red and gold of Iron Man flying past.

“Bucky, please.” Steve was already facing down the aliens, his face serious as he ran through tactics in his head, but his voice was soft and pleading. Bucky nodded, the reality of the situation dawning on him. He made for the restaurant as he heard Steve bark out orders to his team, “run Invasion Scenario Four. Iron Man, take the perimeter and make sure they’re contained to as few streets as possible. Falcon, I need you keeping us all updated on what’s going on. Take out as many as possible and relay our positions to the NYPD. Hawkeye, you know the drill. Widow, I need you with me if possible. Keep Hulk at bay, but keep Banner updated on what these are.”

Bucky took cover behind overturned tables, joining the other terrified customers, but he couldn’t help but move closer and closer to the windows, terrified but needing to see what was happening out there. He’d never seen Steve fight before. Not like this. Of course, he’d seen the footage of the Battle of New York, everyone had, but it was nothing compared to seeing it in person. Maybe it was because he was steadily on his way to being head over heels, no turning back, in love with the man, but was he always this reckless? Time after time Bucky watching him literally run into the aliens with nothing but his shield as a weapon. He was damn effective hand to hand, but the sigh of relief that Bucky let out when Natasha joined him was huge.   
The pair of them fought together like they were born to it. They effortlessly covered each other’s back, taking down alien after alien like it was nothing more than a day at the office. Which he supposed it was, for them.

It was effortless. Until it wasn’t.  
Bucky saw the alien round the opposite corner to Steve and Natasha before they did, and he watched in horror as it picked up a weapon from one of it’s fallen comrades and aimed it straight at Steve’s heart. He acted before he even knew what he was doing.  
Bucky darted to his feet, grabbed the knife that was lying inconspicuously on the floor by the upturned table, and ran out the door. 

“Steve!” Bucky shouted at the same time he threw the knife. He watched in slow motion as it found its target, the alien falling to the ground with a thunk. He didn’t see the other three aliens all rounding the corner and zeroing in on him.

“BUCKY!” Steve was next to him in a flash, throwing the shield and taking all three aliens out at once, “what are you doing?!” Steve’s eyes were wide and scared, “God, Bucky tell me you didn’t get hurt!”

Bucky nodded a little desperately, “I’m fine, I’m fine,” his voice came out a bit more shakey than he’d intended, “I just saw that one pointing it’s weapon right at you and you had your back to it and I couldn’t do nothing Steve, I couldn’t, and I’m sorry but I’m fine and, and,” his voice petered out and he was left standing there, surrounded by alien bodies.

Distantly, he heard Tony through Steve’s comm, “all secure, Cap, the threats been eliminated. FRIDAY is in touch with the emergency services and it looks like there were no casualties. Rendezvous in five at your position before clean up. Oh, and Cap? Tell your boy if he wants to fight next time, the knife shoes he carries around in that bag all the time are probably a better option than cutlery. Just saying.”

Bucky let out a choked off laugh and grabbed the comm, “do you know how much custom skates cost Stark? I’d rather risk it with the cutlery.”

He didn’t get to hear Tony’s snarky reply. Steve looked up at him, his eyes showing just how scared he was, but his voice was full of love, “you’re an idiot,” he said, before pulling him into a kiss right there in the middle of a battle zone.

He did hear the wolf whistles and teasing from the others as they made their way down the street to them, but all he did was hold onto Steve tighter with one hand, and flip them off with the other.

Steve’s shield lay discarded at their feet.


End file.
